Improvement in railway-crossings



c. c. SHELBY. R ai l way-Crossing PatentedSept. 21, I875.

No.-l 68,'055.

INVENTOR v WITNESSES N154 ATTORNEY! CHRISTOPHER O. SHELBY, OF JERSEYCITY, NEW JERSEY.

" IMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAV-CROSSINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 168,055, datedSeptember 21, 1875; application filed March 18, 1875.

- the invention.

Similar letters of reference in the drawing denote the same parts. 7

This invention has for its objects the production of a device for takingthe place of the railroad-frog now used to permit railwaycars to passthe point where the rail of the main track is intersected bythe rail ofthe side track, to obviate the jar occasioned to the cars by the use ofthe said frog, and to obviate the danger of breaking the flanges at saidpoint of intersection; and to these ends it consists of a rail pivotedat one end to a tie, to form a continuation of the inner rails of boththe sidetrack and the main track, and secured at the other end to asliding bar, operated by a spring, in combination with a curvedguard-rail, pivoted at one end to a 7 bearing, and connected near itslongitudinal center with the sliding bar, to which the pivoted rail issecured in a position to partially cover the outer rail of the sidetrack, the several parts being so arranged that the spring will hold thepivoted rail in a position causing it to form a part of the inner railof the main track, and the guard-rail in a position to partially coverthe outer rail of the side track, until a train passes either from themain track to-the side track, or from the latter to "the former, whenthe car-wheels will press against the curved guardrail, and move thesliding bar, and carry one end of the pivoted rail over to the innerrail ofthe sidetrack, thereby permitting the cars to pass over as ifupon a continuous line of rail, and when the train has passed over, andthe pressure of the wheels has been removed from the guard-rail, thespring will again draw the O pivoted rail back to form a part of themain track, all of which will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawing, the main track is composed of the outerrail A and the inner rail B. The side track is composed of the outerrails O and the inner rails D. The rail E is secured at one end to aplate, F, pivoted upon a plate, G, which rests upon a washer, H, ofrubber or leather, the said plates and washer being let into a recess,I, in the tie, and the plate G and washer H spiked to the tie. A bolt,J, forms the pivot for the plate F, and the washer H prevents the jarthat would occur without it at the junction of the rails B, D, and E.The rail ,E is secured at its other-end to the sliding bar K, and itsplay is limited by the arms of the chair L, which seats the ends of theinner rails B and D of the two tracks. The curved guard-rail M issupported upon a series of rests, N, and pivoted to a bearing, 0, therests and bearing being sufficiently elevated to permit the guard-railto move over,

and, near its longitudinal center, partially cover the rail 0. A bar, P,also connects the guard-rail M with the rail E, to give additionalstrength. A rubber or other spring,

is secured to the projecting ties R, and to the sliding bar K, andoperates to hold the rail E in line with the inner rail B of the maintrack. ,The pivoted end of the rail E forms a continuation of both railsB and D. The movable end can be moved to form a part of the inner rail Dof the side track by the pressure of the car-wheels of a train passingover the side track in either direction, and when the train has passedover the rail E will automatically resume its position as a part of themain track. A cap, T, is provided to cover and protect the spring Q. Theflanges of the carwheels meet no obstruction, as in the ordinary frog,and there is consequently neither jarring of the cars nor danger ofbreaking the flanges of the carwheels.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new isl. The rail E,pivoted at one end to form FFIGE a continuation of the inner rails B Dof both 2. In combination with the rail E, secured the main track andthe side track, and seto the plate F, the plate G and washer H, cured atthe other end to the sliding bar substantially as and for the purposesset forth.

K, operated by the spring Q, in combination CHRISTOPHER O. SHELBY. withthe guard-rail M, pivoted to the bearing Witnesses:

O, and secured to the sliding bar K, substan- GEO. F. MOORE,

tially as and for the purposes set forth. WM. F. LETT.

